


A Moment to Remember, A Moment to Keep

by inheritanceofgeek



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: (following destruction of laketown), Canonical Character Death, F/M, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Fíli is nervous and inexperienced, Grief/Mourning, I'm so sorry, Post-Desolation of Smaug, Pre-Battle of Five Armies, Sigrid is 19 so if that's underage in your country then that's a thing that happens, Sigrid is confident and forward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2018-03-31 07:05:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3968929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inheritanceofgeek/pseuds/inheritanceofgeek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sigrid sits atop a hill, away from where the survivors of her home are trying to piece themselves back together in the wake of the destruction that surrounds them. Most of the people she knows are dead and she looks across the lake as their bodies burn. She doesn't know how to react or what to do. But she's still pumping with adrenaline, she survived and she's never felt more alive.</p><p>So cue a handsome prince from a far off land who's just saved her life, and who's talking to here like she's a person, not the daughter of a dragon slayer. He gets it, he understands her.</p><p>And as the stories go, one thing leads to another and dot dot dot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Moment to Remember, A Moment to Keep

**Author's Note:**

> So basically, I have SO much coursework due in on Friday. Like, stupid amount from the last term. 
> 
> So naturally, I spent 2 hours yesterday writing out this quick one shot because I was working and the idea just got stuck in my head! 
> 
> In my defence, it was my birthday, and I hear 21 year olds are totally meant to write mature fanfic about minor characters in Peter Jackson movies romancing major characters created by Tolkien. 
> 
> Un-beated I'm afraid so if you spot any typos or spelling mistakes or whatever let me know =)

Sat upon the top of the hill, the forest lying behind her, she gazed upon the smouldering remains of the only home she'd ever known. Most of it was now flattened by the body of Smaug, but she could still make out small places. 

There, behind his wing, was the bakers where she'd worked, the owner and his wife now lay dead inside. 

There was the town hall where she'd been to her first dance, burnt to the ground, never to be used again. 

There was the bridge under which she'd had her first kiss, barely 15 and confidently taking control whilst he shook like a leaf with nerves. 

Billy was dead now. 

So were his parents.  
His sisters.  
Her neighbour.  
Her best friend Freya. 

Dead. Deceased. Burnt. Crushed. Their charred remains floating in the lake they all used to play in as kids. 

She laughed. She had no idea but she was laughing so hard until it changed into heaving sobs. She couldn't cry in front of Tilda, that's why she'd come up here in the first place, to get away from them all. She couldn't keep her head straight. Adrenaline was still pumping through her, she'd never felt more alive until now- but there was so much chaos and destruction around her. She continued to laugh and sob and heave until a hand settled on her shoulder and she'd jumped out of her skin, automatically swinging a fist at the person behind the hand.

"Ouch. Careful, I've just survived a dragon attack, please don't kill me now."

It was one of the dwarves they'd had in their house. The one who'd run at the Orc as it charged into their house, risking his life to save hers. She knew she should be angry, that his kind had bought this chaos and destruction upon their people - but she just couldn't find it in her heart to hate him. It had not been him, after all, who'd awoken the dragon.

"Sorry." She smiled at him and went back to looking at the lake. 

"It's Sigrid, correct?" He asked.

She nodded

"Mind if I sit and join you? My brother is still mooning over the elf, and everyone else is refusing to even talk to me. Not that I can blame them." He added "This is all our fault..."

"No it's not." She didn't look at him still, her eyes fixed on the burning town. "You didn't fly down here and breath fire and destruction on the place." 

She heard him chuckle next to her "True, but it was our fault that he came down in the first place. Your father was right. Maybe we shouldn't have tried to reclaim the mountain..." 

Sigrid turned to him now, an eyebrow raised 

"If you don't think it should be reclaimed, why bother coming all this way to begin with?"

"Loyalty." He shrugged "I've a duty to my Uncle and our people. This is our birth right, our heritage. I'm honour bound to preserve it. I will be heir to the throne once Thorin is crowned..."

"You're a prince?" She said looking at him in astonishment. She'd never met any royalty before, but she'd always assumed they'd be more like The Master than anything else. As a child, she'd dreamt of handsome knights on horseback, riding from Rohan or Gondor to beg for her hand in marriage- Lady Sigrid of LakeTown- Girion's heir. But as she'd grown up she relished the folly behind them, and had quite forgotten such stupidity. 

"Yep." Smiled the Dwarf, "Prince Fíli, son of Lady Dís of Erebor, Sister of Thorin, King Under The Mountain, son of Thrain, son of Thror, heir to the throne of Durin. At your service." He gave a dramatic bow followed but a snort of derisive laughter. 

"Never felt like much of a prince. Uncle worked in a forge, making swords and horse shoes. Mum looked after us in a small house, about the same size as yours, well, as yours was." He added apologetically. "Me and Kíli used to help out Thorin out until we were old enough to find work for ourselves. Escorting traders from Ered Luin and the like. It's hard to feel like royalty when you're making soup in a forest surrounded by rabbit droppings and wearing second hand clothes. Sorry." He added again. "Sorry, you came up here to be alone no doubt and I've disturbed you. I'll go." 

He got up to leave but Sigrid put a hand on his knee 

"No. Don't go. I mean" she sighed "I don't want to be alone. Not really."

Fíli sat back down again, but didn't say anything more. Just stared out at the lake, watching the reflection of the glowing embers. They sat in comfortable silence for a minute or two, before Sigrid began speaking again.

"It's strange. So much destruction. I can't even begin to comprehend it, but, when I first came up here, all I could do was laugh..."

"Grief takes us in different ways. I was the same when Father died. I was only a child, barely 40."

"40!" Cried Sigrid in amazement "I wouldn't call 40 a child's age! You're pulling my leg, you can't be more than 28 surely?"

Fíli chuckled "Dwarves live longer than humans, so we're slower to mature. I'm 84"

Sigrid's jaw dropped open at that 

"But in human terms, that's more akin to 25. My brother, he's 77- 21 I guess in your years?"

"Well, now I really do feel like a child." She smirked "I'm only just turned 19." 

Fíli raised his eyebrows at this. "19? I had you pegged as being older..." 

"Oh thanks." Laughed Sigrid, "That's what every girl wasn't to be told." 

"No, I just meant, your eyes. They're much older. Not just now, with all that has happened, I think everyone has aged a decade at least, but you were older back in the house as well." 

"Well. That's what happens when your Ma dies in childbirth and you're forced to become the mother to a newborn baby and an 8 year old boy when you're only 13. Motherhood tends to age people quite a bit. Da wasn't much help either. I could barely get a word out of him most days."

"Losing your One is a painful thing." Fíli nodded wisely "Mum was much the same, though I still don't think it fair that so much responsibility was down to you, wasn't there someone who could help?" 

Sigrid shrugged "People tried. We had a wet nurse to help with Tilda when she was a baby, but once she learnt to eat solids, it was down to me." 

Fíli put a tentative hand on her knee "That's a lot of responsibility for one so young. I thought looking after Kíli was bad enough, but this..."

"You have to grow up fast round these parts."

"So it would seem. Did you not have any time for yourself." 

"Not really. But it didn't really matter. There were dances and I'd sneak out at night occasionally to meet with friends, but for the most part, I was the Lady of the House."

"Soon to be Lady of Dale if the rumours are true." 

Sigrid buried her head in her hands with a groan "Oh don't you start." She laughed "I've had enough of that from Alfrid! Plus two marriage proposals." 

"Marriage proposals?" 

"Oh yes. People want to get a piece of the pie now. Your Dad kills a dragon, and suddenly the people you've never spoken to want to be you best friend, and the boys who wouldn't give you the time of day and lining up to declare their love!" 

Fíli laughed at that, his moustache swaying "Surely no boy would have stayed away from you! You must have been beating them off with an axe long before Bard killed the beast." 

Sigrid gave a small grin. "Teenage mother of two, remember? Plus, well. I'm no beauty. Not really. Not compared to girls like Elena and Sophia, though... I haven't seen them... I guess they must have perished as well. Serves them right. They were always picking on people." She clasped her hand to her mouth at that and Fíli roared with laughter

"Oh Sigrid. Don't let this change you." 

"I can't believe I said that! That was so horrible! They were mean but they didn't deserve to die oh Valar oh no, I never" 

"Mahal bless you and keep you, Pretty Sigrid." Smiled the dwarf, putting an arm around her and holding her close. "Horrible people die every day, sometimes suddenly, sometimes simply of old age. It doesn't mean you have to like them, or that you can't find whatever humour you can in such a tragedy as this." 

Sigrid grinned and leant her head against his shoulder. If her Da were to come across them like this, he'd throw a fit, but it felt right, somehow. She'd never felt more comfortable than she had with Fíli right now, right this moment. Being in his arms felt like being at home. She felt safe for the first time in so long, she felt as though nothing could harm her.

"Thank you, by the way. For saving us from those orcs." 

"Those orcs would never have come to your house had we not been there in the first place. It should be me thanking you for taking us in when my brother was sick." 

"I couldn't turn him away, not when he was like that. I know what it's like to care for siblings, like I said, I couldn't turn you away." 

"Still. I wish there was some way to thank you properly."

Sigrid turned in his arms to face him, feeling brave all if a sudden. Looking at him from beneath her eyelashes, she said "I'm sure you can think of something." 

Fíli blinked at her. "Okay..." 

"I'm waiting." She said, placing a hand on his waist. The adrenaline was pumping through her veins still. 

"Well, there is something I'm thinking of..." He started 

"Go on." She said reaching a hand up to hold one of his moustache braids, he took in a shuddering breath, but he didn't reach away from her.

"But I'm not sure it's what you're thinking of..." 

"Well. You won't know, until you try." She said, moving another hand to cup his face. She was only a few inches from his face now.

"Sigrid, daughter of Bard, heir to Lord Girion, may I kiss you?"

"I thought you'd never ask." She grinned and closed the gap between them.

Sigrid had expected Fíli to be as bold in kissing as he was in battle, but he was tentative, unsure of himself, and Sigrid wondered if he'd had much experience... Surely at 84, he must have had loads of experience with pretty dwarrows and humans a like? 

Still. She should not really be one to judge she thought as she took his lower lip between hers and sucked lightly. She didn't really know Dwarrow culture. Maybe he really was even younger than he said he was. Possibly princes were expected to behave in a more prestigious fashion than peasants like herself were? 

Still. His enthusiasm made up for everything else, and he was a quick learner it seemed. Not that she'd had much experience herself, but the festival dances held in the town hall on in the square had offered her a few opportunities here and there, after all, there weren't that many young girls in Lake Town, even if Elena and Sophia were always first choice amongst the boys. 

She'd never kissed anyone with a beard quite a fine as his before. There were boys with a slight amount of stubble, but most were clean shaven. She found his beard surprisingly soft though, and enjoyed the gentle scratch it had against her face, the tickle of his moustache on her lip making her giggle.

After a moment though, they pulled away to catch their breath, and Fíli rested his head against hers as they panted. They breathed deeply, sharing this space, and it felt a lot more intimate than the kissing had been.

"Sorry." Whispered Fíli. "I've not, I've not really- there weren't many opportunities for such, um, activities back home not when we were always so busy but-"

"Shhh." Said Sigrid "None of that now. Practice makes perfect as they say." And she leant down to kiss him again. 

This time, Fíli had more confidence and took control of the kiss as best he could. Objectively, it wasn't the best kiss she'd ever had, but it had certainly never felt this good before, like there was molten gold flowing within her and pooling between her thighs. She panted heavily into his mouth and let out a hitching breath. 

Fíli held her closer against him, and she suspected that maybe he felt the same way, given his moans. 

Still feeling that courage inside of her, she lifted his hand and placed it carefully on her breast, Fíli pulled away from the kiss, but didn't remove his hand.

"Sigrid- are you sure..."

"I'm sure." She said with clarity. "But are you. If this goes against some sort of cultural thing, we can stop. I'm not really meant to be doing this either, to be honest, but-" she hesitated 

"But you've just survived a dragon attack, your house, your home, everything you've ever known is in ruins but your family is safe, and now a devilishly handsome dwarf is kissing you and holding you?" He finished, his moustache twitching 

"Something like that." She smirked at him "What about you?"

"I think-" he said, "I think I've never met anyone as beautiful as you, Sigrid. I don't think I ever will again. You're smart, witty, brave and you've been through so much torment and come out through it with barely a scar. If I were to die tonight, tomorrow or in a hundred years from now. I would not regret any decisions. If- if you're my One, then I don't think I could ask for a better person." 

Sigrid stared into his eyes, and felt it. Felt a connection between them beyond any she'd felt before. It was like she was seeing him for the first time and yet as though she'd known him for thousands of years. "Yes." She murmured. "I feel the same." She leant in to whisper into his ear 

"Your hand is still on my breast, by the way." She smiled and Fíli blushed, before slowly, as tentative as before, began to gently mould it beneath his hand, and Sigrid let out a huffy breath and kissed him again, pulling him onto his side on the ground. There was a significant height difference between them, with him coming up about as high as her bosom, but like this they were on eye level. 

She reached down and gently cupped him beneath his trousers and she felt him grow harder, giving out another little moan of his own. 

"Sigrid, I-" 

She moved her hand away and brought it back up to his face, 

"Sorry, I thought-"

"No." He let out a small whine "Please, don't move away just- are you sure this is what you want? Here? Beneath the dark skies, on a hill top that overlooks your burning home town, with a dwarf you're technically unmarried to?" 

"Technically?" She said, raising an eyebrow "How do you mean technically?"

"Oh I just mean, I mean I know for Elves, they only couple after marriage and that's the same thing as getting married really, so I just assumed..." 

"Well. I am unmarried. But as you said, we've just survived an Orc invasion followed by dragon attack, we could easily die of starvation in the next few days and I sense a battle is coming- if tonight I could have one good memory to see me though, if I could secretly marry a prince from a far off land- then I would not regret it." 

"I've never-"

"Nor have I." Smiled Sigrid "Which is totally understandable, but given 84 I would have thought you more experienced." She teased

Fíli blushed "Well, there weren't many opportunities what with being a prince and all..."

"Well, then as I said before. Practice." She said, taking the hand which had moments ago been beautifully massaging her breasts and sliding it down her dress "makes perfect."

She let go of his hand, allowing him to make the decision. He shifted himself so as he could get a better angle, and slowly slipped his hand up her leg and between her thighs, eliciting a low groan from Sigrid. 

"I best get a move on then." 

*

They'd taken things slowly from there, taking time and rest when needed, stopping entirely here and there to breath or to kiss, until they both felt ready to continue. In the end, the act itself had been very quick, but Sigrid had been surprised her hadn't released himself long before then, having made her come over her peak already. 

Must be that famous stammer of dwarves she'd heard so much about, she thought to herself. 

They lay down in the afterglow of their affections, having hastily put their clothes back on. Fíli gave off heat like a furnace, but it was still a cold night. They lay there, comfortable and warm, Sigrid could not recall a time when she'd be more content. She felt his hand in her hair and gently hummed 

"What are you doing back there?"

"Just-" he hesitated "just a dwarf thing. To let you know that I care about you. To let other people know. Is that okay?"

"This isn't about us getting secretly married here tonight? Because usually that requires witnesses, and I'm really hoping no one just saw that." She joked

"No. Nothing like that." He laughed, and his breath tickled the back of her neck. "Just a promise, I guess. To show people that I think I've found my One, that I am yours." 

Sigrid held her breath 

"Do you really think that?" She asked, quietly.

He kissed the back of her neck then.

"Yes. I really do. Do you?"

Sigrid hesitated. "I'm not certain. I don't know a lot about love or romance... But I sense that this is what it is, and if this is love, if this means that I am yours as you are mine- then I most certainly want it."

She could feel the dwarf smile behind her, as he continued to braid her hair and slipped a bead onto the end of it to keep it in place. When she turned around she noticed that it was one of the ones from his moustache, and smiled fondly.

"Here." She said, "reaching behind her neck and unclipping her necklace. "Have this. It belonged to my mother. I think she'd have liked you to have it. In return for the bead- let people know that I am yours, with this." She placed it into his hand and closed his fingers around it. 

"In the morning I'll have to go to the mountain to find my Uncle." He said, matter of factly "I don't know if I can keep this from you for that long. What if we never return from there?"

"Keep it safe then. Keep it safe and with you, no matter what happens. We'll always have this. This night. These gifts. We'll have each other." She smiled and kissed him again.

"We should head back." She sighed wistfully "Before anyone notices we've both been gone this long."

"A moment longer." Sighed her lover "Kíli will be too busy making cow eyes at Tauriel, and your Father is surrounded by people offering their help. They won't notice we're gone for a little while longer." 

They stayed like that, curled up against each other until the night became darker still, and all the stars shone brightly on the sky. Right here. Right here was where they were meant to be, where they had always been going in their lives and it had taken a quest and a dragon for them to find it. They broke apart too soon though, and headed back to camp, hand in hand until someone saw them. 

"We'll always have this." He whispered to her as they parted for their tents "No matter what happens in the coming days. We'll always have this night, under these stars, forever." 

She clutched his hand once more, before the calls of her sister meant that she had to turn away. It was not the last time she'd see him, but it was the last time they'd be alone.

For not barely a couple of days later, as she and her siblings sheltered from the Orcs as they ransacked Dale, she felt a hot white pain in her back, as though a poisoned blade had sliced right through her . She'd been stabbed. She was dead. The orcs were in here with them. "Run!" She cried to her family "Get away from here!" 

But the Orcs had not penetrated their stronghold, they were still safe, even though a part of her had just flickered out of existence and landed with a thud on the cold stone floor on top of Raven Hill. 

 

However, the line of Durin would not break so easily. Even now, the stirrings of a new heir began to come into being. Fatherless. Half dwarf, half human- being of both but belonging to neither race. Yet with the body of stone and the blood of a dragon- it was destined for great things. Even if nobody, not even itself, was aware of it. 

Life will always spin on.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeeeeeah, sorry for having Fíli die... I just kind of felt like I should. But I'm also a sucker for pregnancies and children who live on after the death of their parents, especially when they're unborn at the time. 
> 
> I have ideas of where I want to take this further, and so it's possible that it shall develop into a series at some point in the future, maybe.


End file.
